Throttle control



Nov. 3,1925. '1,560,274

, w. c. McLAM ET AL.

THROITLE CONTROL Filed June 19. 1925 Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES.`

P ATE-NTI `O FIF-IC E".l

THROTTLE CONTROL.

Application filed .Tune 19, 1925. Serial No. 38,2381

To all iii/20m t may concern f Be it known that we, XVM/ran C. Melli/xii' and Herinner ldsniimxiiin.` citizens ol A 'the United States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County and State ot ldashii'igton, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Throttle Controls. ot which the following is aspecificatioi'i.

Our present invention relates to improvements in throttle controls especially of the pedal or` foot operated type, tor the. purpose vof controlling the`r supply oi gasoline to the motors of automotive vehicles. ',lhe device ot our invention is applicable `tor use withthe stem of the toot operated depressible button known as the accelerator, which is movable through the toot board otl the automobile for actuating the` throttle or valve of the gas supply ot the engine or motor.

By the utilization of the control device of our invention, they normally elevated depressible stem is capable of beingretained in a predetermined partially lowered ory depressed position to insure a uniform and continuous feed of gas to the engine for i. normal speed of the automobile. Means are provided whereby the throttle controlis, released from this predetermined position when desired, and means are alsoprovided whereby the depressible operating stem ot the throttle device may be actuated independently of the throttle control device of our invention. The invention involves the use of a detent and pawl connection which are adapted to throttle `down the intake of gas to the supply under which the automobile will run at a light load. The in vention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan View' showing the general arrangement of parts. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view transversely of the automobile through the foot board, showing theidevice inelevation and partly in section. 4

Our device is capable of use in the equipmenty of the car or automobile-at the factory, or existing acceleratorsnow meuse employing-a depressible lever ,tor actua-ting the throttle, may be converted for Iuse iwitli the device without materially alteringthe At'oot actuated device. lVhent-hus equipped the usual foot operated or depressible button l and its stein 2 are.providedwvith a sleeve 3` that maybe adjusted to desired position on the stein.4 This sleeve. which is itasliioned with'a laterally extending pret erably integral pawl 4, may be rigidly attixed in desired .position `on the stem .by

lar lug 9 on the detenta; and `a spring l() interposed between the lugand the link, the detent `is normally retained in positionin the path. ot movement of theyl pawlonithe stem.

The link V8 is suspended in .norn'ially ver- 1 tical position below the toot board through `which thestem passes, by. means of a pivot pinlZ which secures the link at the lower end of a screw or bolt 12%. This screw or bolt` is, supported in a non-travelingnut or interiorly threaded sleeve 14 which adapted to turn and is confined in; the toot board wit-him an upper lflanged ,collar 1 5 attachedatv the top. of the l'oot board and the complementary ilanged-wcollar `1G atd tached at the under side of the foot board.

These lianged collars are assembled by insertion from above and below in an opening in the foot board, and the non-traveling nut is provided with a kerf 17 in its upper edge for the reception of a screw driver by means of which the bolt or screw 13 may be raised or lowered for the purpose of vertically adjusting the detent with relation to the pawl 5 on the stem.

For releasing the .pawl 5 by moving the detent from the path ot the pawl, a laterally swinging foot lever 18 above the ioot board is pivoted at 19 in the bracket 2O fixed to the door or board and projects down through an opening in the board. The lever is in position `tor ready access by the foot of the driver of the car, and is located a suitable distance from the button l tor convenience and safety in the manipulation of the parts.

At its lower end the foot lever has pivoted thereto a connecting bar 2l which is also pivotally connected to the link. By a lateral foot movement the lever 1S is swung to the left to the dotted line position, against the tension ot the spring 22 which is anchored to an eye bolt or screw eye 23 and connected to the lower arm of the lever beneath the foot board. As the lever swings on its pivot the link and the detent carried thereby are swung to dotted position to withdraw the detent from Vthe path o'l movement of the pawl on the stem.

It will be understoodthat the engine or motor is at all times under control ot the foot operated pressure on the button, regardless of the position of the throttle stem. In Figure 3 by full lines, the button is depressed with the throttle in slightly open position, while in dotted lines the button is shown in the position occurring when the throttle is closed.

With the stem in the dotted line position, if it is desired to start the car, Ytoot pressure on the button will depress the stem and move the pawl freely past the detent which latter swings on its pivot out of the path of the pawl, and thereafter the stem may be turther depressed to increase the gas supply and accelerate the motor as usual, above a predetermined speed governed by the position of the pawl 4 on the stem. It the :toot pressure on the button is released under these conditions, the return to dotted line position of the button in Figure 8 is prevented by the detent which obstructs the movement ot' the pawl. Under these conditions itwill be apparent that the gas supply may be throttled down, by the action of the pawl and detent, to a predetermined point under which the automobile will run on a light load. This minimum supply may be increased for heavier loads by re-adjusting the pawl on the stem.

If the car is running down hill and the driver desires to coast and thus economize in the use of gas, he may apply foot pressure laterally against the lever 18 for the purpose of removing the detent to release the pawl and permit the throttle to close, thus shutting oli' the supply of gas to the engine or motor.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. rPhe combination with a reciprocable member of an actuating gas-control device, of a pivoted spring pressed detent and a suspending link therefor, a pawl on the reciprocable member, and means for moving said detent out ot the path of movement ot the pawl.

2. The combination with the reciprocable member of an actuating device for control of a gas supply having a pawl fined thereon. of means in the path of movement or" said pawl for arresting the reciprocalile member to supply a predetermined quantity of gas.

3. In a gas control device the combination with a reciprocable stem having an adjustable pawl tixed thereon, of a spring pressed detent in the path of movement of said pawl, means for adjusting the position of the detent, and means for moving said detent from the path of the pawl.

4. The combination with a reciprocable stem having an adjustable pawl thereon, of a spring pressed detent in the path of movement of said pawl, a supporting link for the detent, an adjustable bolt for the link, and means for swinging said link to remove the detent from the path of the pawl.

5i The combination with a reciprocable stem and its pawl, of a spring pressed detent, a hinged link, a support, a non-traveling nut and a bolt therein for supporting the hinged link, and a lever actuated device for swinging the link to remove the detent from the path o't' movement of the pawl.

In testimony whereoil we allx our signaturcs.

lVALTER C. MGLAM. HERBERT ESHELMAN. 

